Klaviyo WhatsApp integration: How does it work? Why do it?

Klaviyo users can add a WhatsApp channel to their marketing activities through the charles platform. Here's how the integration works.

Earlier this year, email and WhatsApp joined forces in a new way.

The charles WhatsApp platform integrated with Klaviyo, the marketing software giant – that went public in September.

We announced our new WhatsApp Klaviyo integration in a joint booth with Klaviyo at DMEXCO23

Times, like marketing channels, change

A few years ago, after the arrival of WhatsApp as a marketing channel for businesses, WhatsApp was seen as a game changer for CRM. A dynamic, more personal cousin to email, with better predicted open rates, click-through and conversion rates.

In 2023, however, it became clear that rather than being considered as competing channels, email and WhatsApp needed to stick together.

Both have great features that brands need. And together they make a great team.

Email and WhatsApp don't compete – they complement

Integrating email and WhatsApp makes business sense too. SNOCKS found that when they have an email address and a WhatsApp number for a contact, customer lifetime value (CLV) can increase up to 20%.

Email vs WhatsApp: who will win?

In our view, email will never become irrelevant. It can however become much more effective when combined with WhatsApp for an omnichannel marketing strategy.

And so, charles and Klaviyo joined forces

After months of beta testing with our customers, in September 2023, we announced the integration of WhatsApp with Klaviyo through the charles platform.

We announced our Klaviyo partnership at a joint booth at 2023's DMEXCO event and masterclass with charles, Klaviyo and one of our first customers to test the integration, WORMLAND

What does the WhatsApp Klaviyo integration bring businesses?

Traditionally, WhatsApp and email marketing solutions have been separate – even competing against each other.

This has led to complexity in CRM and marketing teams and has also meant that marketing teams haven’t been able to get the most from their data.

With customer information confined to different channels, brands have had fewer opportunities to personalize content and send truly relevant marketing campaigns to finely targeted audiences, in a channel they prefer.

And that's if a company has WhatsApp in the first place, which many still don't. 

The charles x Klaviyo integration unites a company’s customer data and enables CRM teams to improve personalization and offer a more seamless customer experience across channels – with the aim of growing loyalty and driving revenue. 

It also enables new ways to solve old problems, like abandoned carts. Now, Klaviyo users can send customers a quick WhatsApp reminder. With open rates higher than email, most WhatsApp messages are seen by customers.

The charles Klaviyo Whatsapp-email integration helps solve one of eCommerce's biggest and oldest problems, abandoned carts

A quick summary of benefits:

• Power your WhatsApp campaigns with Klaviyo’s segmentation: use Klaviyo Lists and Segments in charles
• Add a WhatsApp touchpoint to your marketing flows: trigger a Journeys flow via Klaviyo Flows
• Collect WhatsApp subscribers via other channels: collect and harmonize opt-ins across channels, without cannibalization

WhatsApp and Klaviyo could also mean less marketing for people

Bringing email and WhatsApp together is not just about aiming to generate revenue.

It’s about how customers feel about and interact with the brands they love. By bringing email and WhatsApp together, brands can send more relevant, creative and interactive marketing communications.

Rather than increasing the amount of marketing brands send, this integration reduces it – because they can send much more relevant, higher converting messages to smaller audiences.

And it brings the power of WhatsApp to Klaviyo users

Klaviyo users may have seen the hype around WhatsApp marketing but may not have known where to start.

The charles integration brings WhatsApp to marketing teams whose email strategies are powered by Klaviyo – adding:

1. Rich interaction of WhatsApp (quick replies, lists), opening up a new world for individual campaigns 
2. The possibility to offer WhatsApp to people who don't open email or prefer to use WhatsApp
3. A channel with open rates of up to 90% 

The charles WhatsApp solution (based on the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) offers interactive functionality so customers can answer questions by tapping buttons in WhatsApp messages – like “What do you want to hear from us?” and “What styles are you interested in?”

Use cases of WhatsApp and Klaviyo integration (with charles) 

Here are just some ways you can use the Klaviyo integration.

• Use Klaviyo Lists and Segments like your Active subscribers (30/60/90) segment to send WhatsApp campaigns
• Create a 2-step pop-up on your thank you page to collect both email and WhatsApp opt-ins
• Add WhatsApp to your abandoned cart flow by triggering a Journeys flow in charles
• Use WhatsApp for back-in-stock notifications to create a sense of exclusivity or FOMO

How to integrate WhatsApp and Klaviyo

Here's how to integrate your Klaviyo CRM with WhatsApp:

1. Choose a WhatsApp marketing platform that integrates with Klaviyo

As a mid- to large-sized business, unless you make the software yourself, it's likely you'll partner with a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider like charles. (Smaller businesses can use the free WhatsApp Business app). Choose a platform that offers a Klaviyo integration – as well as integrations with your other software.

2. Connect the Klaviyo app to your WhatsApp marketing platform

This is how this works in charles:

1. Log into your Klaviyo account and go to Settings. Under the Account tab, select API keys:

2. Select Create Private API key. You’ll be directed to the next page:

    

   

    

3. Define a name for the Private API Key (minimum 3 characters)

4. ❗️Give the following API Scopes Full Access;

   1. List
   2. Profiles
   3. Segments

5. Select Create

   

6. In charles go to Settings > Available apps

7. Find Klaviyo and select Connect. A pop-up will appear

8. Copy the Name and Private API Key you’ve just created

9. Select Submit

   

Once it’s successful, you should find Klaviyo in the Connected apps section.

3. Import Klaviyo customer profiles to WhatsApp

This is how this works in the charles platform: charles will import the following profile data:

• First name
• Last name
• Email
• Phone number

1. Once you’ve connected the Klaviyo app in charles, select Settings. A popup will appear
2. Go to the Configuration tab. You will see:
   
   

3. We recommend toggling Import only contacts with a valid phone number on

4. Under Actions, click Sync channel users to start importing profiles from Klaviyo

4. Sync WhatsApp opt-in status to Klaviyo profiles

It's important that you stitch WhatsApp and email contacts together – to avoid sending customers too many notifications or even the same message twice.

Next, you need to sync opt-in status to make sure you have the right permissions – important for GDPR requirements.

This is how it works in the charles Klaviyo integration: As charles imports Klaviyo profiles, we’ll check for matching phone numbers. If we find a matching phone number in charles that also has a WhatsApp opt-in we’ll patch the latest opt-in status and last updated time to the Klaviyo profile under Custom properties.

You can use these new custom properties in the following places in Klaviyo:

1. Segments

When creating segments in Klaviyo, you can use charles_opt_in_status to filter contacts with a positive opt-in status to help with GDPR compliance.

2. Flows

When creating Flows on Klaviyo, you can use charles_opt_in_status with a “Conditional split” to only funnel contacts with a positive opt-in status to charles.

How to invite email subscribers to opt in for WhatsApp

If you don't have a WhatsApp number yet for someone, you can send an email to your Klaviyo contacts inviting them to sign up. We recommend doing this with a discount, exclusive access or offer. To send them an email:

In Klaviyo:

1. Go to Audience > Lists & Segments
2. Create List / Segment
3. Select Segment
4. Give your Segment a name
5. Under Definition, select Properties about someone
6. The Dimension should be charles_opt_in_status is not set:

7. Select Create Segment

8. Then, use this list to send a Campaign encouraging these contacts to opt-in for WhatsApp. 

WhatsApp and Klaviyo in action: WORMLAND masterclass

At DMEXCO23, we ran a joint masterclass with our customer, German fashion-brand WORMLAND, which you can see here. In it, you'll see in practice how WhatsApp (via charles) and email (via Klaviyo) work together to power up your CRM and marketing:

We're excited to see what WhatsApp and Klaviyo can do next

While email remains a powerful channel for eCommerce and retail brands, many now want to add the closer, personal touch WhatsApp to their CRM strategies.

With the charles Klaviyo WhatsApp x email partnership, this has become much easier. 

Andreas is charles founder and CEO. He spoke at DMEXCO23 where we announced our Klaviyo integration.

"The charles x Klaviyo integration enables our clients to do more with the customers they already have and is an inevitable evolution of WhatsApp as a business channel.

"We now know that email and WhatsApp are more powerful together than apart. We’re delighted to be able to help our clients to build stronger, longer customer relationships, draw from additional data and enjoy more stable revenue generation – while Klaviyo clients gain WhatsApp as a new channel."

As always, it's our customers who remain at the heart of pioneering WhatsApp marketing. We will be working closely with them to evolve the Klaviyo WhatsApp integration and will report back on new features and possibilities.

Ready to integrate WhatsApp with Klaviyo?

charles is an Official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider and Meta Partner that's ready to help you do this. Talk to us now to get started or ask questions about how it would work. We can also show you many more use cases of how Klaviyo and WhatsApp work together to improve the customer experience. 

Disclaimer: the information in this article is based on our experience and expertise and is not offered as legal or data privacy advice. For full information on your legal obligations under GDPR, please go to the European Commission's official GDPR site.